Special guard Epaminondas Korkoneas who shot and killed 15-year-old teenager boy Alexis Grigoropoulos for no reason in downtown Athens in December 2008, will walk free on Wednesday morning.
The Mixed Jury Court of Appeal in Lamia, central Greece, accepted Korkoneas appeal for early prison release on the mitigation of his ” previous lawful life”, that is he had no previous convictions.
According to media information, the three regular judges agreed with the prosecutor’s view for rejection of the mitigation.
However, the four jurors voted in favor of the mitigation.
It is recalled that the Mixed Jury Court of Appeal of Lamia had initially accepted the mitigation and the legal representatives of the family of Alexis Grigoropoulos, Zoe Konstantopoulou and Nikos Konstantopoulos, had appealed to the Supreme Court where they were justified and the case returned to the Court of Appeal and was introduced in a new trial.
It remains unknown whether the family of Alexis Grigoropoulos will appeal again to the Supreme Court.
Following the decision on Tuesday, the mother of Alexis Grigoropoulos, Gina Tsalikian, commented that “this is an offensive decision” for the memory her son who was killed for no reason.
“If Alexander was alive, he would have turned 29 last Sunday. His killer is free. I do not feel justified by the decision. It is an offensive decision for the Greek justice, the Greek society, the decision for the memory of Alexander is offensive,” she said.
Together with a friend, teenager Alexis was strolling out in Exarchia district of Athens when he was shot by the special guard Korkoneas on patrol with a colleague.
First instance court had sentenced Korkoneas to life considering a “premeditated murder.”
With the same mitigation, the convict has been out of prison since 2019, after having served 11 years in jail.
On Alexis Grigoropoulos death anniversary there have been big protest rallies and clashes with police.
Right after his murder on 6. December 2008, angry protesters set the center of Athens on fire causing large damages to commercial buildings.
